Hi, this is Daniel Garber at the Movies for culturalmining.com and CIUT 89.5 FM.

The Church of Scientology, founded by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, is an organization now led by David Miscavige. Miscavige was raised as a Scientologist and has been a practitioner since he was a child. It attracts followers from around the world partly drawn by the success of its celebrity members. But its secrecy — along with rumours of mind control and corporal punishment — also attracts investigative journalists who want to find out what goes on behind closed doors.

Louis Theroux is one of these journalists, stymied from entering the inner sanctum of Scientology. Instead he decides to shoot his own Scientology movie in LA, auditioning actors to play the roles of Tom Cruise and Miscavige, with former members on hand to give first-hand guidance.

My Scientology Movie is a new feature documentary about Scientology, about making a film about Scientology, and about Scientologists doing everything they can to stop him.

It’s presented by Theroux and directed by John Dower.

Louis Theroux is an award-winning BBC writer/broadcaster known for his intriguing but controversial subjects. John Dower creates acclaimed documentaries like Thriller in Manila. The two of them co-wrote this film which opens today in Toronto at the Hot Docs Cinema.